Google Adds Traffic Conditions to Maps in Time for Memorial Day Weekend

Today Google announced an addition to Maps that promises to make traveling on one of the busiest driving days of the year a little more bearable.

In time for Memorial Day weekend Google has integrated traffic alerts within its Maps product that’s said to be able to help you find the fastest route to your destination of choice according to current traffic conditions.

“Memorial Day is one of the busiest driving days of the year. Luckily, Google Maps can help you find the best route to your destination with the fewest delays.

And just in time for you to hit the road, we’re updating Google Maps with new traffic alerts to help you avoid jams and get the most out of your holiday weekend.”

Now when you use Maps, after selecting your destination you’ll be presented with upcoming traffic conditions — find out ahead of time if you’ll run into congestion, and how long you can expect to be stuck in traffic if taking another route is not an option.

Top Memorial Day Searches in 2014

Google revealed what its top trending searches were on Memorial Day weekend last year, which are pretty much in line with what you’d expect people to be searching for on a long weekend:

Beach

Cemetery

Cafe/Restaurant

Gas Station

Furniture Store

Ice Cream Store

Google also listed its top 5 destination searches during Memorial Day weekend last year, which are as follows:

San Francisco

Los Angeles

Chicago

Boston

New York City

Wherever your destination is this weekend, you can travel smart by looking up traffic conditions before you ever leave the driveway.